Another Weekend Free Fire Zone

We can’t find a thing to write about today. All is quiet — no doubt a lull before the next storm of creationist madness. Meanwhile, we must entertain ourselves.

We hereby declare another Intellectual Free-Fire Zone. We’re open for the discussion of pretty much anything — science, politics, economics, or even astrology, theology, mythology, and sociology — as long as it’s tasteful and interesting. Banter, babble, bicker, bluster, blubber, blather, blab, blurt, burble, boast — say what you will. But avoid flame-wars and beware of the profanity filters.

I fired somebody who has been representing me for the past five years once I heard her say she is a young earth creationist. I told her to her face she was either ignorant, stupid or insane (thanks Dawkins), but ignorance can be cured. She tried to brush it off saying I have my faith and you have yours. I told her you don’t need faith when there is evidence. Then she said “Oh I have evidence on my side too.” i had way too much fun when I replied “No. you don’t” in a calm confident voice. She was shaken, lol, but has since recovered and seems as strong as ever in her ignorant faith.

My three fave quotes (forgive the paraphrasing, doing these from memory:
“Without religion good people do good things and bad people do bad things. But for good people to do bad things, that takes religion.” and “Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings.” and of course the Dawkins quote above (but I left out the part about being evil. i don’t think she is evil, just ignorant, stupid or insane.)

i had to explain to my daughter that I don’t want an insane retarded person representing me.

Preserved nonmineralized parts in fossil arthropods have been found in Yunnan Province’s Chengjiang Lagerstatte since the 1910s. Most work on the deposit has been done since the mid-1980s. I find it ironic that creation cultists hate science left & right but love science when it comes to soft-part preservation in fossils. What’s with the taphonomy of nonmineralizing fossil organisms or nonmineralizing parts of fossil organisms that appeals to these chronic reality deniers? Antennae, gills, and guts have all been found in various Chengjiang arthropods, including Fuxianhuia, which is the focus of the new article cited above by Charles Deetz. Preserved brains just adds to what was already known. Don’t get me wrong – it’s way freakin’ cool. The previous commenter is obviously correct – it has nothing to do with intelligent design creationism. Clueless creationists also get excited about fossils with altered soft parts in the form of dinosaur skin (which is very rare). They actually think that disproves an ancient Earth. I’m torn between appreciating that even science haters are being exposed to science with these discoveries (which is a good thing) and being disgusted that their vile views even share the same pages as the (second-hand) scientific write-ups of these amazing fossils.

From The Bicycling Guitarist: “She was shaken, lol, but has since recovered and seems as strong as ever in her ignorant faith.”
———————–
Powerful demonstration of the long-lasting brain damage done by religion via childhood indoctrination.

How about this one – you can’t kill ideas when you kill people, so why do so many try? I am including governments here also. The same goes with torture. Enlightenment ideas are more important and more likely to persuade than is death and destruction – so why a >$600B defense budget – not counting the secret stuff – and a fraction for education?

So. If the Di isn’t the intellectual equivalent of Wahabbi thought, does Hambone get that title? Or is there a letter writer in our Curmudgeon’s hundreds of wack a doodles who is espousing doing more than bearing a metaphorical hatchet to free thought, logic and reason?
Are we discussing garden variety poo flinging creationism dweebs or have any gone off the deep end into full out creation-hadism?
It appears that creationoidism hasn’t gone full 6th century Inquisition yet, in a literal sense. When does that kick in?

Bicycle Guitarist, I’d be curious how the creationist represented you and if it was in a free or paid capacity. I’m not sure there is much point in not doing business or maintaining other relationships with a creationist. People obviously prefer to keep company with like minded people but you don’t get 7 years bad luck if a creationist crosses your path.

Troy
Let’s say Bicycling Guitarist’s creationist was a manager or a booking agent for his guitar-playing business. And let’s say several musician friends told his manager, “I played at The BeachBar and the club owner shorted our pay at the end of the night.” Most normal evidence-respecting managers would NOT book a band (or a Bicycling Guitarist) at The BeachBar. However, a creationist manager thinks evidence is for Darwinists, and so he or she says,”Oh, I adore the owner of the BeachBar, and I know in my heart he’d never do a thing like that!”

So you may not get 7 years bad luck from that creationist crossing your path, but you most likely get a fun night serenading the barflies at The BeachBar for not enough pay to put the gas back in the truck.

Bicycling Guitarist, was I close?

(The manager in question for my band, years ago, was not a creationist but rather a person who actually thought the Saturday morning wrestling shows was a REAL SPORT. Same disregard for evidence, though…)